Recent news page 2

Holding back the tears? Don’t bother… According to emerging evidence crying could be good for us.

Crying remains one of sciences biggest enigmas. We all do it but are yet to find a scientific explanation as to why. What we do know however, is that despite the puffy eyes and hyperventilating, crying does actually have it’s up sides, with science continuing to prove that having a good old sob can be beneficial (even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time).

Though we are still some way from discovering why it is that humans cry, there is emerging evidence to support the idea that shedding a few tears could be good for us. Of course it is difficult to sit and think about the benefits of tears in the midst of a break-up, or after a severe toe stubbing, but according to scientists our tears have more of a cathartic effect than we ever could have imagined.

Last year 1.3 million new cyclists hit the streets of Great Britain as more and more workers opted for a healthier morning commute.

As the pressure peaks for getting Britain green, an increasing number of commuters are choosing the bicycle over the car, bus or train. As well as helping the environment, cycling is an excellent form of exercise. It is thought to burn approximately 300 calories per hour and due to its low-impact nature, is recommended for those suffering from health problems such as joint pain.

Although the recent surge in popularity has contributed to the hugely lucrative £2.9 million cycling industry, it has also possibly contributed to the 3% rise in nationwide cycling casualties.

Tragically, 12 cyclists have been killed this year in London alone. In 2009, 8 out of the 9 cyclists killed were women.

It’s no wonder then, that many women feel apprehensive about the idea of donning the lycra, saddling up and dodging the...

Record numbers of single women and teenagers who want babies are abandoning the search for Mr. Right and turning instead to online sperm donors.

A staggering ¼ of all women registered to online sperm donor sites are under the age of 25 and some are as young as 18 and 19.

Many women frustrated with endless dead-end relationships are giving up the dating-scene in order to pursue the challenges of motherhood alone.

One 20-year old who’s relationship fell apart after losing a baby said:

“I am financially secure, I have found a job with flexible hours, I have a house and a mortgage. I know I could offer a child a loving, safe environment, so I don’t know why I should wait.’

For many woman, finding a man to father their baby is now as simple as logging into babydonor.com or co-parents.net, creating a profile with a picture and a short bio, sitting back and waiting for the interest to flood in.

The debate that films could potentially influence behaviour in viewers has been on-going for years now, with the most recent research suggesting that teenagers who watch films depicting actors lighting up are more likely to take up the habit themselves.

Experts from Bristol University investigated the impact that some of the 360 top US box office films depicting smoking could have upon teenagers.

5,000 15 year olds were questioned in the study, with results showing that those who saw the most films involving smoking were 73% more likely to have tried smoking than those who were exposed to the least. In addition, teens who saw the most of those types of films were also 50% more likely to be a current smoker.

The experts went on to control the variables of the study, and even after doing so the teens who watched the most smoking inclusive films were still 32% more likely to have tried smoking.

Growing evidence suggests that parenting and schooling is more in tune with girl’s emotions and way of learning than with that of their male peers.

Up until a few decades ago men were essentially the breadwinners of families, their physical strength was required for manual labour jobs and they commanded respect from their great courage in fighting a war. Now however, it’s a very different story. We consistently hear tales of gang crime, antisocial behaviour and the like from boys and stories about the pressures that girls and women face.

Experts are now worrying that changing attitudes towards boys could mean that some of their emotional needs are being neglected.

Uanu Seshmi from the charity From Boyhood To Manhood Foundation has previously advised the government on matters concerning gun and knife crime, and he is of the belief that the interests of boys have been squeezed out in the rush to right historic injustices against...

A number of recent US studies have revealed that fructose, the sugar found naturally in fruit, may be seriously damaging the health of those who consume it excessively.

Worryingly, fructose is an extremely common (and often craftily hidden) ingredient in processed foods and is most commonly known as high-fructose corn syrup, a thick sweetening syrup derived from corn.

High-fructose corn syrup can be found in many household brand products such as Muller Light Vanilla Yoghurt, Mr Kipling Almond Slices and McVitie’s Hob Nobs among others. The natural sweetener is used to keep foods moist, thicken products such as ice cream and yoghurt drinks, reduce crystallisation in frozen produce, and turn baked goods like crackers, cakes, pastries and bread rolls an appetising brown colour.

Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the long-term health effects related to high-fructose corn sugar. Although corn sugar contains the same amount of...

A new report has highlighted the troubling extent of unhappiness in the UK workplace.

According to the study by recruitment company Badenoch & Clark, just over a third of the 1000 workers surveyed were happy with their current jobs and 1 quarter confessed that they felt ‘distinctively unhappy’ at work.

Happiness at work is currently high on government agenda in light of the Prime Minister’s research into UK happiness levels earlier this year. Due to the economic impact of ill-health caused by stress and unhappiness, workplace happiness has become a top 5 concern in the UK and is recognized as a ‘critical business issue’.

According to Nicola Linkleter, managing director of Badenoch & Clark, the emerging lack of happiness in the workplace can be attributed to a number of factors, including longer hours, additional financial strain at work and at home, and a lack of tangible job security.